A Student's View -- The Reality of Spiritual Poverty

     This week has been far more than what I expected. I have grown more than I ever thought possible. I have gone on other missions trips, but those were out of the country. I never thought that poverty and the need of Jesus could be so close to home. 

     I have experienced many different things this week. Both good and bad. On Tuesday we went to the park and played many different games with the kids. I was in the water games and connected really well with one kid named Eddy. Eddy decided that we were going to be on a team for the rest of the water fight. Later that night, he came to VBS. I saw him and went right over to him and talked with him for a while. He then came to the Discovery lab where we have science experiments for the kids to try out. I was in charge of the experiments that night and Eddy followed me around. He was my little buddy. Later in the evening, he told me a story about the parting of the Red Sea. He was so interested in it!! I was trying to think of some other cool stories that I thought he would think are awesome. So I told him the story of David and Goliath. He thought it was the coolest thing. He didn't know how tiny little David could knock out such a big giant. I told him it was because he had God on his side. He said that God probably knocked him out as soon as David hit him. 

     Finally, the night came to a close and we were talking about separation from God. We were singing a song that went "we all fall short, we all fall down..." Eddy then asked me what it meant to fall short or fall down. He also asked me, what is sin? Why do people sin? Why are we separated from God? Can we ever get back with God? Does God love us even though we sin? He seemed really interested and I was beyond blessed to have been the one to answer all of his questions. Throughout the next day, I thought of so many other things that I could've told Eddy. I decided I would tell him on Wednesday night. So Wednesday night came and I kept looking around for Eddy. When I couldn't find him, I got really discouraged. I kept asking around to see if people had found him. Nobody had seen him all night. I was really disappointed that he didn't show. I thought that maybe it was something I said or something I did. Maybe he didn't have fun. What if he never comes back? I began to blame myself for the fact that Eddy didn't show.

     At the end of the night I was just really upset. I didn't cry until my sister, Becky asked me what was wrong. I broke down and told her how I blamed myself. She reassured me that I didn't. She told me I planted a seed in him and whether it be tomorrow or 30 years from now, he's going to remember this week and what I shared with him. It will all make a connection. 

     After every VBS we break off into our church groups and discuss how the night went. Our leader, Jake, shared with the group how I was upset he didn't show. Everyone there told me what a great thing I had done and how Eddy will always remember me and what I said. Even though I may not have been able to water the seed, I planted it. God takes care of the rest. I made an impact on a child's life and that has been far more than I ever expected of this week. "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow." 1 Corinthians 3:6

--Jenny Schwarz, CT Student